The bandits attacked, and the women and children screamed in terror, scattering in all directions, while the elderly in line were knocked to the ground.

Chaos ensued, and these refugees didn't know what to do.

At this critical moment, a warhorse suddenly leaped out from the command tent.

The knight on the horse wore a crimson cape, and with a sharp squeeze of his boots, the warhorse neighed, charging straight through the crowd.

The knight's Fighting Energy erupted like flames, surging from his shoulder to the tip of his sword, igniting with a glow like crimson flames!

"Those who dare steal grain! No mercy!" His voice thundered through the chaos, intimidating everyone.

Following him, two more warhorses charged out, and the three Red Tide Knights quickly formed a flanking formation.

One in the front and two on the sides, they surrounded the bandits in a semicircular area at the edge of the camp!

"Charge! There's only three of them!"

Someone shouted, and the hot-blooded bandits raised their knives and axes, screaming as they rushed at the three riders!

Then they saw the difference between knights and ordinary people.

The leading knight raised his longsword high, performing an arcing horizontal slash, cutting three charging bandits in half at the waist!

Their limbs, imbued with Flame Fighting Energy, rolled through the air, blood splattering on the muddy ground, carrying a scent of blood.

"Wha-what's going on?" one person exclaimed in shock,

The second knight spurred his horse into a thrust, the horse's front hooves rose high, and the acceleration of the charge sent him flying ten yards away.

Then another knight, with a swift sword thrust, pierced through the chests of two nearby people, pulling the sword out violently, spraying blood!

The longsword swung horizontally, the severed torso flying out, knocking down the third person who still tried to advance.

Next, he turned and cut a bandit trying to flank them from the shoulder to the belly, splitting him in two, dying a gruesome death.

"Run, run away!!"

Finally, someone realized something was wrong; these knights were simply monsters to them.

But alas, it was already too late.

The three knights galloped their horses, the roar of Fighting Energy echoing as they began the hunt.

Each slash carried the explosive force of Fighting Energy, slicing through flesh and bone as easily as chopping wood!

Someone tried to climb over the wall to escape, only to be pinned to the wall with a single sword strike.

Someone threw down their weapon and begged for mercy on their knees, but no one paid attention, and their spine was crushed by horse hooves.

In just a few minutes, more than twenty of the thirty bandits were cut down like vegetables,

The remaining few were deliberately spared, tied up and dragged to an open area outside the camp.

That night, a simple wooden platform was erected in the camp square.

Torch flames burned brightly, lighting up the whole open area.

Seven bandits were tied up, kneeling on the platform, each with a look of deathly pallor, trembling with fear.

The fierce look they had when holding daggers against their fellow men had long disappeared.

People crowded around the square, hundreds of them, mostly civilians who had just struggled out of hunger and war.

Though faces were filled with exhaustion, at this moment, they all stood tall, glaring angrily at the few bandits.

"Why should you steal food when everyone else is working honestly?"

"Just as life was getting a little better, they wanted to cause chaos? They deserve to be cut down!"

"Lord Louis truly doesn't tolerate wrongdoers!"

The Law Enforcement Officer responsible for the judgement loudly proclaimed, "According to the Red Tide law, those who rob grain, attack the camp, and intentionally harm others are inexcusably guilty and sentenced to death!"

There was an uproar below the platform, but it was not questioning, rather a relieved cheer.

Several of the seven began to cry and plead loudly, and some tried to argue or beg for leniency.

"Spare me! I-I was just following to watch the commotion, didn't steal anything!"

"I have an eighty-year-old mother... please, don't kill me!"

A younger bandit struggled desperately, tears streaming down his face, "I-I will definitely reform and start anew in the future!"

A Red Tide Knight stepped forward, expressionless, and said, "It's the Dragon Ancestor's business to forgive you, my duty is to send you to meet him."

He drew his sword and stepped forward, "Execute!"

The sword flashed, and a head flew, blood sprinkling the yellow earth.

The same action repeated seven times, and the entire square fell silent.

When the last head fell, someone shouted first:

"Well done!"

"Yes! They should be killed!"

"Great, now we don't have to worry about our porridge being stolen anymore!"

The cheers rang out one after another, and some even put their hands together and bowed toward the crimson banner.

From that day on, no one in the camp dared to steal anymore.

Louis had ordered before, if there were bandits causing trouble, deliberately leave a few for public judgement, public execution.

"War has just ended, rules must be established." he said.

He wanted everyone to see firsthand, in his territory, robbery and murder meant death.

And those refugees who registered compliantly and worked honestly could now eat three meals a day, without having to live rough, with clean mats and blankets at night.

And this simple way of life was precisely what they had dreamed of.

Under the leadership of craftsmen sent by Red Tide Territory, one semi-underground house after another rose from the ground.

Ian was among the first craftsmen involved in building houses.

Although the daily work was tiring, he felt at peace.

The foreman provided meals on time, and in the evenings, they could listen to people playing and singing by the fire.

Mia was also gradually recovering, color returning to her face.

Though her body was still frail, she could walk steadily and even jog a few steps around the camp to play.

She always liked to follow behind Ian, sometimes helping to pick up some wood chips at the construction site or poking small stones on the ground with a stick.

The coworkers, seeing her obedient and sensible, often teased her and occasionally gave her some food.

"You little girl, you're much more hardworking than your dad," someone said with a smile.

Hearing the teasing, Mia blushed and ran away.

Ian watched and grinned, but his eyes welled up with tears.

He watched his daughter's lively figure, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.

A few days ago, he had to wake up every night to check her breathing, fearing that one day he would wake and forever lose this child.

Now, he no longer needed to beg for a meal or frantically search for herbs in the mountains.

The porridge, though bland, was enough to fill them, with a bit of pickled vegetables on the side.

The humble house withstood the wind and rain, and there was charcoal, blankets, and people to talk to.

Ian held the rough porcelain bowl, gazing at the rising cooking smoke, silently thinking, "Thank you, Lord Louis."

Not just Ian, the camp's people gradually regained some vitality.

They had food, work, and a place to sleep, but more importantly, a sense of safety.

"As long as you follow the rules, there's food; if you're willing to work, someone will protect you."

This slogan quietly spread through the camp, like a simple but genuine creed.

No one thought it was false because it was what they had all witnessed and experienced firsthand.

Gradually, this belief quietly took root and sprouted amidst the ruins after the war.

And that crimson banner, waving in the morning light, grew brighter, as if truly dispelling the shadows over this land.

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